When war was declared, Claresholm answered the call

By Rae Trimble
German forces invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. The British and French issued an ultimatum for Germany to withdraw. When that was ignored, they declared war on Sept. 3. Another major war had started. After a special session of Parliament, Canada declared war on Germany on Sept. 10, 1939.
More than 300 men and women from Claresholm and district enlisted in the Second World War. They served with the army, air force and navy in every theatre of war. They fought against evil to protect our freedoms.
Sixteen men died before the war ended in 1945. Their names are on our cenotaph.
Our Claresholm heroes – 1944
Private David C. McEwen
The son of David McEwen, Senior (manager of the Beaver Lumber Store and Ruth (Doyle) McEwen.
He joined the U.S. Army in 1942, and was transferred to the Parachute Troops in March of 1943.
He served with 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division in Sicily and Italy as a first aid field man.
On Oct. 1, 1943, the 504th became the first infantry unit to enter Naples, Italy.
For the next several months the 504th assaulted one steep, barren hill after another, fighting a determined enemy.
On Jan. 22 and 23, 1944, the 504th landed on the beach at Anzio on the west coast of Italy. A bridgehead was successful established.
The 504th Regiment attempted to seize the town of Borgo Piave, but were driven back by German tanks and artillery. They set up a defensive position along the Mussolini Canal. David was killed when he went to the aid of a wounded officer.
Private David McEwen was killed in action on Jan. 25, 1944. He is buried in the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery at Nettuno, Italy. (grave 15, row 15, plot 1).
David McEwen is also commemorated on his parents’ gravestone in the Claresholm Cemetery.
Private Olaf Bergerson
The son of Olaf and Gusta Bergerson. After his mother Gusta died in 1934, Olaf, age 14, and two younger sisters went to live with John and Anna Smedstad.
He enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1942. He served as a driver with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps in the Vancouver area.
He was transferred to Debert, Nova Scotia in February of 1944, and went overseas in April.
In August of 1944 he was transferred to the Calgary Highlanders then in Belgium.
The Canadians were ordered to re-open access to the port of Antwerp.
In late September, the Highlanders fought their way across the Albert Canal, east of Antwerp, and began their advance toward Bergen-op-Zoom and the Beveland peninsula in Holland.
On Oct. 1, the Second Division, which included the Calgary Highlanders, was next ordered to clear the area north of Antwerp and close the eastern end of the Beveland peninsula, the narrow neck of land connecting Beveland to the mainland.
The Second Division fought their way north toward Woensdrecht, a town at the eastern end of the peninsula. The attack to close off the peninsula began on Oct. 23.
Olaf was reported missing on Nov. 1.
Later information stated that Private Olaf Bergerson had been killed in action on Oct. 23, 1944, near Ossendrecht, Netherlands. He was originally buried there. After the war,Private Olaf Bergerson was re-interred in Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, Netherlands (grave V, row F, plot 2).
In Olaf’s service file, there is a letter written on Dec. 10, 1945, signed by the Mayor and Council of the Municipality of Ossendrecht, offering their sincere thanks to the families of the 142 Canadian heroes who fell and were buried in the vicinity of Ossendrecht.
(Other members of the Bergerson family who served were Harold in the RCAF, and Edwin, Oliver and Thelma with the Army).
Lance Corporal John Lamb
He was the son of Sid and Jeannie (Oliver) Lamb. Johnny was married to Irene Carey.
He enlisted in the Army on April 9, 1943.
He began basic training in Camrose. He became ill and spent some weeks in hospital.
Reporting back to Calgary, he was transferred to No. 1 Training Brigade at Debert, Nova Scotia on Nov. 3, 1943.
Sent overseas, Johnny arrived in England on Dec. 22.
In February of 1944, he was sent to Italy with the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.
Johnny saw action in the various spring actions – the battle for Rome and the fighting in the Liri Valley.
In June he was withdrawn from the lines and given a special gunnery course.
On completion of the course in September, Johnny was attached to the Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, a reconnaissance unit with the 12th Brigade, Fifth Canadian Armoured Division.
As the Canadians advanced north, they were faced with very difficult terrain. Hundreds of rivers flowed eastward from the mountains to the Adriatic Sea. The retreating Germans would set up a defensive position at each river, making every river crossing a fierce battle.
On Sept. 20, the Canadians captured san Fortunato Ridge and Rimini on Sept. 21.
By October of 1944 the Canadians were advancing into the Po Valley region in northern Italy. Fighting at the Savio River had been particularly fierce. On Oct. 28, the Canadians were withdrawn from the front and moved into reserve for a well-deserved rest. They had fought for 33 days to advance 50 kilometres.
On Nov. 2, Johnny was appointed Lance Corporal.
In late November, a new assault was planned. The operation was launched at 0900 hours on Dec. 2 as the artillery and air force bombed the path the infantry would take.
The Canadian Fifth Armoured Division was to thrust right and cut off Ravenna, driving the Germans out. The Princess Louise Guards were stalled beside the Montone River, but the Westminster Regiment was able to make the crossing and attack the German defenders.
Lance Corporal John Lamb was killed in this action near Russi on Dec. 2, 1944. He was initially buried in a temporary grave near where he had been killed. In August of 1945 his body was moved to the Faenza War Cemetery, west of Ravenna, Italy. (grave 114, row G, plot 3).
(Marilyn Heyland, Lorraine Peterson, and Sharon Rodgers are second cousins).
Rae Trimble is a local historian.